[Green] Activities relating to Earth Day 2018 - register our events with UUMFE?

[James Grecni]

That sounds good to me.  Thanks, Adeline   Jim Grecni
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Adeline Bailey via Green 
  To: Green Sanctuary List for Environment Issues 
  Cc: Adeline Bailey 
  Sent: Friday, April 06, 2018 9:58 PM
  Subject: [Green] Activities relating to Earth Day 2018 - register our events with UUMFE?


  Hello, Green friends,

  As many of you most likely also received info from UU Ministry For Earth, you are aware that congregations are invited to register their Earth Day activities. I think I did that last year or the year before without discussing it with anybody, but this time I wanted to make it a group decision. 


  We're doing a good bit this year: booth/table at Marietta Earth Day, sponsoring a Sun Dance Hoedown to celebrate the success of meeting our goals for Faithify and the Solar Match Fund, taking a role (just what we'll do is yet to be determined) in the Earth Day Sunday service, and working with B&G on plans for energy efficiency improvements in the RE/Office Building. 


  After reading through the UUMFE plans for the month, I'm inspired to do a couple more things: Mike and I are organizing the Social Justice Sunday program this coming Sunday, and I hope you'll be able to join us. We'll be talking about environmental justice and its history in the U.S. and showing the documentary "Cheshire, Ohio." The documentary tells the story of a small Ohio town that had a challenging relationship with a huge, (formerly) AEP-owned, coal-burning power plant, located not that far from us along the Ohio River.  In this year's Earth Day materials, UUMFE is partnering with UUs for Social Justice (UUSJ) to sponsor a letter-writing campaign in support of the RECLAIM Act 2017, a bipartisan bill which would unlock existing funds to assist coal communities. UUMFE and UUSJ believe this will provide a “Just Transition” from a coal-dependent economy and will put people back to work, leading to a more sustainable community and a brighter future.  I think the campaign is a great fit with the environmental justice theme of the social justice forum, and I plan to introduce it then. It would be something we could DO, instead of just talking about the inequity of locating power plants, landfills, and the like in places where people feel they have no power over big corporations. Additionally, I'd like to continue the letter-writing activities with a table in the Social Hall on the following two Sundays (April 15 and 22). We'll collect the letters and send them to UUSJ gathered in a packet that they will combine with letters from other congregations to hand-deliver to our senators' offices.  What do you think? Let me know if you'd be able to help with the campaign, and make this part of our Earth Day activities. (I'm introducing it this Sunday at the forum, regardless. If we want to expand it to the whole congregation, I think I'll need some help.) 


  Secondly, UUMFE's theme for Earth Day 2018 is "Justice for Each Generation," recognizing intergenerational equity as a component of the first Unitarian Universalist Principle and expressing solidarity with the 21 youth plaintiffs in the Juliana v. U.S. constitutional climate lawsuit.  I don't know a great deal about the lawsuit, but I'd like to know more. It could make for an interesting Social Justice Sunday in June, when I think there is an open slot in Michelle's schedule.  Anybody interested? There is more info about the lawsuit at UUMFE and Our Children's Trust .

  Please let me know that I have an OK from the committee to register our activities with UUMFE, and share your opinions about the letter-writing campaign.

  Thanks,

  Adeline







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